- Date
- June 7, 2016, 22:00 local (Jun 8, 2016, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Thomson, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N124CKCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160607006899A
- Case key
- 93349
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's incorrect landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing, nose wheel collapse, and runway excursion.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that during a night training flight the airplane was high on final approach. He further reported that during the landing flare, the airplane ballooned and then touched down hard. The flight instructor attempted to abort the landing, but the nose gear collapsed during the touchdown and the airplane veered off the runway. The right wing and left elevator sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during a night training flight the airplane was high on final approach. He further reported that during the landing flare, the airplane ballooned and then touched down hard. The flight instructor attempted to abort the landing, but the nose gear collapsed during the touchdown and the airplane veered off the runway. The right wing and left elevator sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N124CK
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9808
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 3,123.5
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 25, 2016
- Departed
- HQU · Thomson, GA
- Destination
- HQU · Thomson, GA
- Airport
- HQU · Thomson-Mcduffie County, runway 28, 5,514 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- February 16, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,529 total · 1,125 in this make and model · 569 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 33 in this make and model · 33 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KHQU
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N124CK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.